Undergraduate Advising & Resources

Each IEOR student is assigned to a Departmental faculty advisor to guide the student through the major curriculum. Your CSA and Departmental faculty advisors are listed in your Academic Profile in Student Services Online.  We ask each student to complete and track their major degree progress using the Program Plan below.

These Program Plans and bulletins are provided to assist students with their academic course scheduling. We ask that all students follow their designated bulletin (bulletin year during the second year), and take the core courses in the prescribed semester.  Delaying core courses is not permitted and may result in future scheduling conflicts and possible delay in graduation. Request to drop a major core requirement during the designated semester may result in an unofficial withdrawal (UW) on the transcript.

Additional changes to the program plan must be approved by the academic advisor, the faculty advisor, or the program director. The Department does not guarantee that a request to drop is always approved; hence, it is important to continue to attend and engage in the class until the drop is confirmed.

Students should meet with their academic advisors to discuss their degree progress during the early/regular registration periods. The academic advisor will review your degree progress and provide guidance on course selection for IEOR requirements. Prior to meeting with your advisor, update your Program Plan and have it available during your meeting. 

For career advising, your best resource is the Center for Career Education. Set up an appointment or go in for their drop-in hours. Our colleagues are excited to help make your career plan into a reality.

• CCE Events Calendar
• CCE Special Events

The Undergraduate Advanced Track is designed for advanced undergraduate students with the desire to pursue further education after graduation.Students with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.4 and faculty approval have the opportunity to participate. Students are invited to apply to the track upon completing their sophomore year. Advanced track students are required to take higher-level IEOR courses. 

Students successfully completing the requirements of the undergraduate advanced track will receive recognition on their academic record.

The required Advanced Track courses are not taken in excess of Major/Columbia requirements. Students should contact a departmental academic advisor to review which courses can be integrated into their degree plan for their major. The Undergraduate Advanced Track is not a major in itself. 

Interested students may submit an application here.

Students in the IEOR Department have an option to pursue internship opportunities that complement their academic studies and earn credits. Schedule permitting, students may engage up to 20 hours per week during an academic term (fall and spring semesters). Students may take IEOR E3999 Fieldwork for a maximum total of three (3) credits, and the credits will count toward the 128-credit requirement for the bachelor of science degree. However, fieldwork credits: (1) may not also count toward a major core, technical, elective, and non-technical requirements and (2) may not be taken for pass/fail grade or audited.  

In order to commence, the student must adhere and agree to the following guidelines:

1. Obtain an offer letter.  The offer letter must have the following in order to be processed:

• Be on official company letterhead
• Have a specific start date and a specific end date
• Include the complete street address where the work will be performed
• Include the number of hours per week
• Include a detailed description or list of position duties (should be related to the IEOR degree and it's applications)
• Signed and dated by the employer
  
  The Department will not process the Fieldwork request if any of the above items are missing. The following sample offer letter template may be shared with the employer to facilitate the process.

2. Submit a Fieldwork Request Form for Departmental review for IEOR E3999 Fieldwork.
    
3. Employment may not exceed 20 hours per week during the academic year (fall and spring semesters).
    
4. Adhere to the following schedule and deadlines.  This schedule also pertains to F-1 students requesting Curricular Practical Training during the academic terms.  For F-1 students, please refer ISSO for F-1 Student Eligibility. For J-1 students, please contact your J-1 sponsor and ISSO to discuss your eligibility.

At the conclusion of the term, you are required to submit the following in order to complete the course:

1. A final written report detailing your internship experience. Additional guidelines will be provided.
    
2. A written letter of evaluation from your internship 

The MS Express application is a simplified process of applying to Columbia Engineering's Master of Science programs available to currently enrolled seniors at Columbia Engineering, Columbia College, Barnard, General Studies and young alumni (young alumni are students who graduated from Columbia Engineering, Columbia College, Barnard, or General Studies within the last three years). A minimum cumulative 3.3 GPA is required.

Columbia Engineering undergraduates and young alumni may apply to any engineering MS program using the express application. Applicants from Columbia College, Barnard, or General Studies should refer to this chart to determine eligibility.

Application Requirements:

• Official transcripts
• Personal statement
• Resume or CV
• Contact information for three reference providers
• No application fee required

Apply using the MS Express Application.

The IEOR department provides many exciting research and project opportunities to undergraduate students in IEOR! 

Students interested in research are encouraged to

• Take IEOR 3700 Research Immersion in OR and Data Analytics.
• Reach out directly to faculty whose research they find interesting and with whom they would be interested in exploring the possibility of working on a research project.
• IEOR students are also welcome to reach out to Eric Balkanski for guidance about finding a faculty member with whom to do a research project.
   

Additional resources for research opportunities

• Summer research opportunities at SEAS.
• The National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (NSF REU) program.
• The SIAM-Simons Undergraduate Summer Research Program.

Students potentially interested in pursuing a PhD after graduation are encouraged to

• Consider the Undergraduate Advanced Track, in addition to exploring research opportunities.
• Schedule a meeting with Eric Balkanski to discuss how to best prepare for applying and pursuing a PhD.

Students interested in participating in relevant conferences or other professional development endeavors may apply for financial support from the department by submitting an application.

Please refer to the CC-SEAS Academic Integrity page.